Lisa Shufro and her daughter like to do the "Goodwill Crawl," but it's not out of necessity. "I buy cheap because I like the thrill of the hunt," said Shufro of Westport. "I have enough. I really don't need anything. So if I feel like shopping, it's just for the activity it's not to fulfill a need. So it slows me down to come to a place like this where I really have to scour to find something."
Though she's buying cheap by choice, Shufro feels for others who shop at thrift stores such as Goodwill because they have no choice. Shufro is not happy with Gov. Dannel Malloy's plan to end the sales tax exemption for clothing purchases under $50. "I think it's too bad, and I think it's regressive," she said. "It hits poor people more than rich people, who can afford to buy expensive clothes. I think the basic necessities shouldn't be taxed, and I think a $10 T-shirt is a basic necessity, not a luxury."
Store manager Laurie Gunderman didn't know whether shoppers who buy the thrift store's clothing would have to pay the sales tax. "Whatever the law is," she said.
"It's not going to affect me," Shufro said. "I'm not in that category, but I do think it's an unfair burden on people who can afford it the least." Shufro's grown daughter got her into going from one Goodwill store to another. On Thursday, they were in Norwalk, her favorite store. She had picked up several sweaters that she plans to cut up and stitch back together, an idea she got from "The Sweater Chop Shop."
It's part of why she likes the thrift store. "I like the whole idea of reusing," she said. "I'm really into environmentalism. We're just such a wasteful society."
Would the loss of the $50 or under sales tax exemption affect you? Leave a comment below.
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